Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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853. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are grants available to schools that wish to install solar panels for energy generation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2429/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to inform the Deputy that my Department is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification.

Schools that are designed and built in accordance with the Departments Schools technical guidance documents must achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating and have typically up to 20% higher energy and carbon performance than required by the current Building Regulations, along with 10% of primary energy provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.

All new technologies and approaches are tested to ensure compatibility with school design and operational requirements. Successful and repeatable results are then incorporated into all new school designs and refurbishments.

My Department’s Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on energy efficiency and they are based on solid energy research projects. The Departments policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty three research projects at various stages including its joint SEAI partnership energy website project www.energyineducation.ie.

Solar PV is also funded for schools that are having their electrical installations replaced under the Summer Works Scheme etc.

My Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are involved in an energy efficient retrofit pathfinder scheme for schools. The outcome of the pathfinder will be to create an accurate and scalable model for energy efficient retrofits of schools across Ireland.  A deep energy retrofit programme for schools built prior to 2008 is included in the NDP and the wider role of solar PV will be considered in that context.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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854. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that availed of the once-off minor work grants to purchase and install high-efficiency particulate air filters to date in tabular form. [2466/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department announced additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor works funding of €17m for post-primary schools. 

The payment of these grants to schools gives them the opportunity to undertake any minor works including ventilation improvements at school level as a matter of priority and as expeditiously as possible. The minor works grant funding provides good flexibility to address issues at local school level and to take a targeted approach. The grant was paid directly into the school bank account so schools did not need to apply to the Department for approval to carry out works or to purchase items to improve ventilation. 

Managing ventilation is one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. 

The Expert Group note in its own report that very good advice is contained in the Department of Education’s Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools.

They also note that it must be emphasised that ventilation should be delivered as part of a layered strategy of protective measures to control the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Along with these preventative actions, ventilation further reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools. 

The over-arching approach in the guidance is for schools to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use and partially open when classrooms are in use.

The Departments Guidance is clear that where the recommended measures in the Practical Steps and poor ventilation continues to exist in a particular room/area, air cleaners may be considered as an additional measure in conjunction with other methods of ventilation that are available. This is line with Expert Group guidance which identifies that in areas with poor ventilation that structural interventions and measures to increase natural ventilation should be completed. Where such structural interventions or measures are not possible in the short term, that consideration should be given to using stand-alone HEPA filter devices in poorly ventilated spaces pending the completion of structural interventions.

The updated guidance for schools is also fully in line with the most recent guidance on non-healthcare building ventilation during COVID-19, published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre on 18th November 2021.

There is no one solution that fits all scenarios, each school requires bespoke analysis and an appropriate ventilation solution matched to the specific room size and volume.  Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs in line with the Department’s Guidance. In this context the requirements for each school will  be determined locally by schools, who may get specific advice/assistance of a Chartered Engineer or Registered Architect on the appropriate measures they should take for enhancing ventilation.